Big Brother will return to screens on 9 November on Channel 10 and 10, with Mel Tracina as its new host. A new group of housemates will return to the OG location of Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. B&T was lucky enough to visit the set and hear from Tracina and executive producer Sarah Thornton about the new season, and the slew of content gracing Paramount in the coming 12 months.
A star-studded event was held by the Big Brother house, as Paramount unveiled new brand partnership opportunities for the coming year. Tracina welcomed Paramount executives and stars to the stage at Dreamworld, with the event narrated by Big Brother royalty, Mike Goldman.
Gracing the stage were 10 Sport’s Tara Rushton, co-host of 10 News+ Denham Hitchcock, new Australian Survivor host David Genat, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! co-host Lady Julia Morris, Have You Been Paying Attention?’s Tom Gleisner and Ed Kavalee, The Traitors new host Gretel Killeen, 10 News’ Angela Bishop, and stars and producers of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo.
In the lead-up to the new season’s launch, there are many ways for audiences to interact with Big Brother. Polls on Instagram and TikTok allowed users to vote on house design, including colours and furniture, as well as other decisions. That method of interaction will only ramp up as the season kicks off.
While both Tracina and Thornton were tight-lipped about the ways that this new season will use social media and brands to connect viewers with the show, Tracina ensured us “there’ll be lots of surprises across different platforms and the ways that we’re planning to deliver the content”. B&T understands that Matso’s Ginger Beer is coming aboard as the season’s drinks sponsor.
Tracina Brings Big Love To Her Role
“I love reality TV, and I have no shame in admitting it! I hope to bring that passion and enjoyment of watching TV to my role as host for this season,” Tracina, who is best known for Cheap Seats and Have You Been Paying Attention?, told B&T.
“It feels like Big Brother’s coming home. One of the reasons it’s such a juggernaut of TV is that it’s always evolving with time and going where the audience is. I think audiences are ready to relive some of the nostalgia and go back to the OG format,” she said.
That OG format sees the 24/7 livestream of the show return, and its location at Dreamworld, where the very first season was filmed in 2001, continuing there until 2014. Big Brother will be on six nights a week on 10, with live nominations on Monday and live evictions on Sunday. Audiences can watch the livestream anytime on 10.
There are other nods to the original show all over the new season. While Thornton couldn’t spoil any of them, she did share that there are some familiar voices set to feature.
“The live element is something that audiences are looking for. There’s a lot of reality out there, a lot of scripted, so to have a show where we get to vote on who we want to keep in the house and we get a say and get to be involved in the show, is really refreshing and interactive,” Tracina said.
For Thornton, the casting for this new season was an homage to the original show. Unlike other popular reality shows like Love Island, which features a highly-edited production style, Big Brother‘s new format is relatively free-flowing.
“There’s very little production in the season. It takes a less curated format, designed to let the drama unfold. It remains a social experiment, and it feels raw and immediate, like you’re living alongside the housemates. We have so much freedom to let things unfold naturally, which you don’t get on every reality show. That’s exciting as producers,” Thornton added.
“The thing that Big Brother got right back in the day was the sense of wonder and excitement at who was in the house and the way that Australians connected with them. A group of people who will deliver amazing, riveting content, who are lovable, warm and real has been a real task, and I think we’ve really delivered,” Thornton said.
In terms of the ‘feel’ of this season, Thornton stressed its family-friendly style.
“Look, there might be romance. Sparks might fly, but that’s not the focus of the show. That was the beauty of casting it as well. When we were looking for people, we wanted to find people who we believe Australia will want to watch. We had no other criteria. They didn’t have to be single. We’ve got people who are married, we’ve got people who are in relationships. We’ve got some singles in there as well, naturally,” she said.
The pair also teased that contestants will be embedded in the Dreamworld park in a new way, too, allowing visitors to interact with housemates in an unprecedented fashion.
Content Galore
Paramount’s recently appointed president of global content distribution and international media, Kevin MacLellan, shared that deals had been brokered with several high-profile filmmakers, actors, and content creators to create content owned by Paramount, including Stranger Things’ Duffer Brothers.
The presentation unveiled a slew of homegrown and global content that will debut on the streaming service.
Two brand-new Aussie dramas are hitting the service next year: Dalliance and Two Years Later. The producers behind Offspring, Love My Way, Tangle, The Secret Life of Us, Bump and Romper Stomper, Dalliance is a drama set around the complex relationships of 60-somethings who can’t be defined by their age.
Two Years Later is a romantic dramedy starring Brenton Thwaites and Phoebe Tonkin (H2O). Created by screenwriter Pete Bridges, the series is produced by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning production company Hoodlum.
Last King Of The Cross season three will also join the suite of Aussie hits on Paramount+, including the recently launched Ghosts Australia, the second season of Aussie Shore, and the third season of NCIS: Sydney.
Global content hitting the services includes Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, Yellowstone sequel Y: Marshals, The Dutton Ranch, The Madison, and NOLA King.
Set in the world of Tulsa King, NOLA King stars Samuel L. Jackson in his first role headlining a TV series. It follows the events of the third season of Tulsa King, which saw Russell Lee Washington Jr. (Jackson) sent to Tulsa to take out Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) once and for all.
The series is part of Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes Landman, 1923, Lioness, Tulsa King, 1883, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Outside of the Sheridan universe but set amongst the stars is the highly anticipated next chapter in the world of Star Trek, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
The stars that shine are all on Paramount+. Season Four of The Gilded Age and Yellowjackets and Season Two of Dexter: Resurrection will bring the thrills and the scandalous tea spills. Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright return in spy drama The Agency season two, and NCIS Season 23 and NCIS Origins Season Two join NCIS: Tony & Ziva on the platform.
More international favourites returning include Mobland season two, FBI season eight, Fire Country season four, Matlock season two, and Elsbeth season three. South Park is back with more episodes for season 28.
Movie buffs will be able to watch titles like Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Scream 7, Smile 2, The Naked Gun, and family-friendly titles, Smurfs, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
SpongeBob is joined by more classic kids’ content like Paw Patrol, Transformers: EarthSpark, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Dora.
Sports
Live sport is hitting a fever pitch on Paramount+ as it is joined by the arrival of UFC in 2026. Paramount+ will become the new broadcast partner for UFC in Australia.
Paramount+ subscribers in Australia will have access to all live UFC Fight Nights and the prelims for marquee numbered events as part of their subscription from January. This partnership underscores the commitment of Paramount+ to delivering world-class sports experiences to its audiences.
Paramount+ will provide live coverage of all Matildas and Socceroos matches, every single Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women, plus the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026TM hosted in Australia, where our Tillies will be seeking to win on home soil.
